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Google will reportedly take on Amazon with own Assistant-powered smart display

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GOOGLE WILL REPORTEDLY release its own Assistant-powered smart display later this year, in a bid to take on Amazon’s Echo Show. The firm earlier…
GOOGLE WILL REPORTEDLY release its own Assistant-powered smart display later this year, in a bid to take on Amazon’s Echo Show.
The firm earlier this year rolled out its new Smart Display platform to third-party OEMs such as Lenovo, LG and Sony, and the firm is now preparing its own, Google-branded smart display device, according to Nikkei .
The incoming device, which likely will debut alongside the Pixel 3 and Pixel Watch, will be “similar to the Amazon Echo Show”, according to the report.
However, Google will have an advantage over Amazon in that it can offer native YouTube support. The Google-owned video service was yanked from the Echo Show last year after the firm claimed that Amazon has failed to fix the “broken” experience of YouTube playback on the screen-adorned gadget.
“Amazon’s implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience,” Google said at the time.
A Google-branded smart display could also stream audio or video via Chromecast, and access services such as Google Photos and Calendar.
According to earlier rumours, the device will also include a front-facing camera, two microphones, and a screen-size inline or larger than the current 10in Lenovo Smart Display, and a standalone battery for untethered usage.
Nikkei doesn’t reveal much else about the as-yet-unnamed gadget, but reports that it will be will be built by Pegatron, a firm that rivals Apple’s iPhone manufacturing partner, Foxconn.
It also notes that the device might struggle, as there isn’t much demand for smart displays yet. According to figures from Canalys, market-leader Amazon sold just 315,000 Echo Show devices in 2015.
However, as part of an “aggressive plan,” Google is reportedly planning to “ship some three million units for the first batch.” µ

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